2012 and Planet X News Blog

Total  Eclipse Tonight

There will be a total lunar eclipse from 8:43 P.M to 10:51 P.M. Eastern Time tonight, the total eclipse occurring at 10:01 E.T. There will be a reddish glow to this eclipse.

People on the east coast of the US will have an easier time viewing the eclipse, providing there is not too much cloud cover. 

On the west coast of the US, people can view the eclipse, unless the weather is too cloudy - closer to the end of it.  Explanation below in story.

CNN Story excerpts below:

http://www.cnn.com/   See Total lunar eclipse today’s news 20 February 2008 

 Updated 2 hours, 47 minutes ago

• Total lunar eclipse offers treat for skywatchers

• Story Highlights
• Eclipse will be visible in North and South America, Africa, Europe, if skies are clear
• Moon will look dim but won’t disappear; it will have a reddish or orange tinge
• Moon will be flanked by Saturn and bright star Regulus

Next total lunar eclipse will be in December 2010

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — The last total lunar eclipse until 2010 occurs Wednesday night, with cameo appearances by Saturn and the bright star Regulus on either side of the veiled full moon.  A total lunar eclipse on August 28 is seen from Indonesia.Skywatchers viewing through a telescope will have the added treat of seeing Saturn’s handsome rings.Weather permitting, the total eclipse can be seen from North and South America. People in Europe and Africa will be able to see it high in the sky before dawn on Thursday.As the moonlight dims — it won’t go totally dark — Saturn and Regulus will pop out and sandwich the moon. Regulus is the brightest star in the constellation Leo.Jack Horkheimer, host of the PBS show “Star Gazer,” called the event “the moon, the lord of the rings and heart of the lion eclipse.” Wednesday’s event will be the last total lunar eclipse until December 20, 2010. Last year there were two.The weather could be a spoiler for many in the United States. Cloudy skies are expected for most of the Western states with a chance of snow from the heartland to the East Coast, said Stuart Seto of the National Weather Service.……………………..The moon doesn’t go black because indirect sunlight still reaches it after passing through the Earth’s atmosphere. Since the atmosphere filters out blue light, the indirect light that reaches the moon transforms it into a reddish or orange tinge, depending on how much dust and cloud cover are in the atmosphere at the time.………………………………………………………End of CNN story excerpt.